Travelling between Hackney Central and Downs stations has been made easier, quicker and safer thanks to the reinstatement of a historic walkway, which officially opened this week, connecting the two hubs.

The new 210m-long, elevated interchange, connecting platform 2 of Hackney Central Station, in Amhurst Road, and platform 1 of Hackney Downs Station, in Dalston Lane, reduces walking distances by around 400m and will save commuters between two and five minutes’ travelling time. Until now, those who wanted to change between the stations had to walk around 600m or travel into Zone 1.

The covered pedestrian footbridge, which will be lit at night and protected by CCTV, will be open between 5.30am and midnight every day and has been created to meet future demand, predicted by Transport for London (TfL), of around an extra 140,000 passengers per year.

The project, which is fully wheelchair and buggy accessible, has been joint-funded by Hackney Council, TfL, and Network Rail.

The walkway was dedicated to Hackney Council’s former Principal Transport Planner, Roger Blake, who recently retired after 30 years’ service, and was well-known to councillors, staff and members of the public for his local transport knowledge. He was instrumental in developing the interchange, the East London Line in the borough, as well as the reconstruction of Hackney Wick Overground Station and in the Council’s ongoing work in relation to Crossrail 2.

Mike Stubbs, TfL‘s Director of London Overground, said: “Hackney Interchange will provide thousands of customers with a direct route between two local stations, saving them time and money, and is the first big project we have carried out on the West Anglia services which we took over in May.”As part of the works, the neighbouring Aspland and Marcon estates received a new children's playground.

Hackney Central connects Stratford and Richmond or Clapham; while Hackney Downs links central to east and north London, and beyond.